Appendix A: MySQL Syntax
Overview
This appendix describes the syntax of the majority of SQL statements
implemented in MySQL, as of version 3.23.54a (current as of this writing).The following conventions are used in this reference:
Queries are listed in alphabetical order for easy reference.
Optional components are surrounded by square brackets ([]),
while mutually exclusive alternatives appear in braces, separated by vertical
bars (|).
Lists of elements from which one element must be chosen are
surrounded by braces ({}).
An ellipsis (...) means that the preceding
element may be repeated.
The query syntax documented in this appendix has been simplified in
several places by the omission of the alternative syntax, and of keywords
that didn't actually perform any function, but were originally included for
compatibility with more advanced database systems. Query features having to
do with some advanced features such as transactions were also omitted. For
a complete, up-to-date reference to supported MySQL syntax, see the MySQL Reference Manual.